"...Who May Be On McCain's Veep Shortlist -- An Exorcist?"

[ProSense]

Is Bobby Jindal -- Who May Be On McCain's Veep Shortlist -- An Exorcist?

By Eric Kleefeld and Kate Klonick - June 11, 2008, 4:42PM

Bobby Jindal, the 36-year old governor of Louisiana, is being taken seriously by the national press as a candidate on the shortlist to be John McCain's Vice President. No one doubts that he's a political prodigy -- his impressive resume includes stints as president of the state university system, a Congressman and now governor.

But one of Jindal's job titles hasn't gotten much attention -- and it just might prompt a few questions if his Veep candidacy gains steam: Exorcist.

We've discovered that in an essay Jindal wrote in 1994 for the New Oxford Review, a serious right-wing Catholic journal, Jindal narrated a bizarre story of a personal encounter with a demon, in which he participated in an exorcism with a group of college friends. And not only did they cast out the supernatural spirit that had possessed his friend, Jindal wrote that he believes that their ritual may well have cured her cancer.

Reading the article leaves no doubt that Jindal -- who graduated from Brown University in 1991, was a Rhodes Scholar, and had been accepted at Yale Law School and Harvard Medical School when he wrote the essay -- was completely serious about the encounter. He even said the experience "reaffirmed" his faith.

Jindal's affection for battling demons never surfaced during Jindal's failed run for governor in 2003 or his successful one in 2007. The state Dems did make an issue in 2007 out of Jindal's extreme Catholicism and his view of Protestant tenets as heretical, but the effort provoked a backlash among voters who thought the assault was religious bigotry. So Dems didn't make an issue out of Jindal's experiment.

But Jindal's battle with the dark forces may become an issue should his Veep candidacy proceed. While it's hardly a blockbuster revelation, it could provide fodder for bloggers and late-night comics to turn his candidacy into a media sideshow.

If you're interested in the details about Jindal's spiritually experimental past, we have lots more for you after the jump. It's lively stuff.

In the essay (purchase required), Jindal describes an emotional friendship with a classmate, "Susan," recently diagnosed with skin cancer and reeling after the suicide of a close friend. Susan's behavior becomes stranger, and she is surrounded by "sulfuric" smells. Finally, one night at a prayer meeting, she collapses in a seizure -- and the exorcism begins:

more

Time to pull out the 2006 label for the Group Of Pyschos

[grantcart]

1. Well that explains why Cheney is against him

[southerncrone]

3. Good one!

:rofl:

[charlie]

2. I read his account a while back

If I remember it right, it's breathlessly overwrought stuff, like something a credulous melodramatic teenager would write. And Jindal comes off as a weak-kneed weenie, sick and passing out with fear through much of it.

[ChimpersMcSmirkers]

4. Yep, he's weaksauce. I think Jindal would be a present to us.

I do believe that Mittens will be the pick though.

[Kerrytravelers]

5. Maybe Obama can have him stop by an exorcise the Bush demons out of the Oval Office before moving in

:evilgrin:

[galaxy21]

7. Those republicans are a wacky bunch

Jindal- exorcist
Romney- drives in his car with his poor dog on top clinging for dear life.
Larry Craig- looks for man love in the toilet

[Colobo]

6. He needs to do a job on McCain then... the guy looks like he's possessed!

[charlie]

8. Aha, I found it again

It's like I remembered it, purplish adolescent prose and angsty self-absorption. Jindal is a pants-wetting weenie. I expect even fundie conservadroids would want a prospective veep to be made of sterner stuff.

(Warning: pdf document. You'll need Acrobat or another pdf reader to see it)

http://web.archive.org/web/20061213075345/http://images.dailykos.com/images/jindal.pdf

[cbayer]

11. It's adolescent because he was an adolescent when he wrote it.

He is no pants wetting weenie and it would be utterly foolish to dismiss him as such. We need to take him very seriously.

[charlie]

14. Lol

You have strangely low expectations of a 23 year old non-adolescent Rhodes scholar. I do take his politcal potential seriously, thanksmuch, and he's a pants wetting weenie.

[DangerousRhythm]

9. The power of Christ compels you!

:evilgrin:

[cbayer]

10. Do NOT underestimate Bobby Jindal.

I'm going to be saying this over and over. He is pretty immune to these kinds of smears. Just look at this record. At 37, he has served in Congress from one of the most conservative districts in Louisiana and has been elected Governor. He's a Rhodes Scholar with lots of charisma. He has overcome racial barriers in a racist state.

We should take him very seriously. This whole "exorcism" incident from college is meaningless. You want to find something to really go after him on, look at his position on abortion.

[SoCalDem]

12. The perfect running mate for John..

[shadowknows69]

13. I heard he was considering his childhood friend Torquemada for a post too

[kevinmc]

15. Tila Tequila named John McCain's running mate

In a move that had many Washington insiders scratching their heads Sen John McCain named Tila Tequila as his running mate for the 2008 election.

"Tila will make an excellent Vice President, she has her finger on the pulse of the heart of America and can really connect with the people," McCain said at a press conference to announce his decision.

Some in the political world truly believe that McCain had "truly lost his ever loving mind."

There is one bright side to John McCain's decision if he does not win the White Hose in November he has been offered a spot on next season of A Shot At Love.

http://www.thespoof.com/news/spoof.cfm?headline=s2i36809

[RNdaSilva]

16. Joseph Raymond McCarthy clone as McVeep...

He for sure was in dire need of an exorcism.